Apparatus for flame hardening



R. J. WOLF A APPARATUS FOR FLAME HARDENING Aug. 25, 1942.

Filed July 12, ]941 v Patented' Aug. 1942 2,294,063 APPARATUS FOR FLAME HARDENING Richard J. Wolf, Chicago, Ill. Application July 12, 1941, Serial No. 402,220

` (Cl. 26e-4) 6' Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for ame hardening, and more particularly to' apparatus for the flame hardening of bevel gears and the like.

In the process of ame hardening, it is-desired to raise the temperature of a localized surface areal of the articles to be hardened above the critical temperature of the steel thereof, and

then quench the heated area by means of a suitable medium to impart the desired surface hardness to the metal. In such a process, the depth of hardness is controlled bylthe degree of heat penetration at critical temperature and the severity of the quench.

It is an object of my invention to provide an apparatus of the character stated by which the heating and' quenching may be applied in such a manner as to prevent the latter from intergears.

My invention contemplates effecting a relative movement of the flame and quenching means in accordance with the contour of the gear teeth, thereby enabling the uniform treatment of bevel gears and the like, and employs a multiplicity of torches or other heat sources,

ing and supporting a bevel gear 9 by the central bore or aperture of the latter.

A pair of circular tracks I3 are concentrically disposed about the tank 2, being supported from the latter by a seriesof brackets I d. Movable on the tracks T3, I provide a plurality of carriages I5 mounting and supporting torches or fering with the application of the heat to the f thereby enabling increased production in a flame hardening treatment while at the same time maintaining controlled uniformity of the treatment.

Further objects are to provide an apparatus for vthe purposes stated including indexing means for alignment of the torches vand gears, to provide a simple and elcient mounting for the multiplicity of torches or flame devices, and to Y mount said torches or-ame devices and their -Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof, taken on the line II-II of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, 2 designates a cylindrical tank or container having a pedestal or support 4 mounted centrally within the tank, said pedestal having its upper end provided with a rotatable work-receiving table or chuckt, said chuck being provided with a s eries of vertically extending radially expansible jaws 8 for -receivheating devices I 6. A pair of torches may be -provided on each carriage I5, said torches being radially positioned with respect to the common vertical axis of gears 9 and being slidably adjustable toward and away from the gears as by means of supporting rods I1 freely reciprocable in pivoted tubular' supports I8 of the carriages. Also, the torches I6 are preferably pivoted at I9 at their point of connection with their respective rods I'I, thereby permitting pivotal movement for alignment of the torch tips Z0 with the gear teeth Il.

Hence, each of the pairs of torches I6 may be properly spaced for impingement of the flames of 'tips 2i! thereof on opposite sidesof selected gear teeth II of the bevel gear 9, and said pairs of torches may be moved on their circular tracks I3 upon supporting carriage Wheels 2lA to selectively position said pairs of torches in relation to the teeth ofthe gear. Torch, tips 20 are preferably disposed at an-angle to the body of the torch so .as to permit the positioning thereof in substantial alignment with the angular slope of the gear teeth, as particularly shown in Fig. 2.

In the event that the lgear 9 has an even number of teeth, the carriages I5 may be diametrically dispsed on opposite sides of the tank 2, by meansof locking pins 22 engageable in diametrically disposed recesses 23 in the rim cr body of the tank. Also, when treating a gear having an even number of teeth, upon diametrically locating the carriages and torches in the manner described, the chuck 6 may be rotated as by means of a handle 2t, to thereby align selected gear teeth with said torches. A 'retractable radial index finger or pawl 25 is adjustably secured over the upper edge of the tank 2 for entrance between the teeth of the gear Sito thereby maintain the' same against rotation and in alignment with the torches.

For the purpose of eiecting relative movement between torches and gear, each pair of radially convergent torches is provided with a.

plunger 26 `slldable in' a bearing 21 centrally of the carriage I5, whereby said plunger extends centrally between the radially disposed torch supportingl rods I1. The inner terminal of said plunger hasa guide finger 28 pivoted thereto templated within v claims.

for free guiding engagement with the gear teeth.

Between said finger 28 and the support 21, links 29 are pivoted to the plunger as at 30, said links outwardly diverging and having pivotal connection 3I with the outer terminals of the rods I1. Hence, upon moving the plunger 26 inwardly toward the gear 9, the links 29 eEect a corresponding radially inward movement to move the torch tips 20 along the selected gear teeth. Weights 32 are connected to the outer ends of the plungers 26 by cables 33 passed over pulleys 34 on' carriages I 5 inwardly of said plunger ends to eiect the said travel of the torches, the guide ngers 28 maintaining said moving assembly in proper relation to the gear teeth.

Each of the torches I6 is provided with a water or quenching liquid connection, as by exible conduits 35, from arcuate mains 36 supported on the underside of the brackets I4, said'mains having hose cocks 37 for said exible conduits. The water or other liquid thus supplied to the torches is conveyed therein to the tips 20 and discharged from` the latter at the lower outward Vportion of .the inclined tips, as indicated at a.

Hence, as the torch name is emitted from the the" heating thereby is rst applied to the gear teeth as the torches are moved radially inward as described, followed by the application of the quenching liquid thereto at a lower level or plane, thereby preventing the liquid from interfering with the progressive preheating of the gear teeth as the torches move inwardly therealong. The waste liquid will fall by gravity into the tank 2 for reuse ii' desired. l

As the selected teeth of the gear 9 are heated and quenched, the torches are retractedthe gear is rotated and indexed by the device 25, for align` ment of other teeth with the torches, and the heating and quenching operation is repeated as before.

Hence, the foregoing cycle is repeated until all of the gear teeth of the gear -9 have been v subjected to the hardening treatment. l

adjusted for proper convergence upon opposite faces of the selected` gear teeth. However, since the carriages7 I5 will no longer be diametrically opposed, the same are provided with track clamps 38 for securing thegcarriages and torches to the tracks I3 in' selected adjustment about the gear.

For the purpose of supplying vthe torches I 6j arcuate oxygen manifolds 39 and acetylene manifolds 40 are mounted on theunder sides ofthe treated, a pair of relatedcombined a'me and quenching devices adapted for linear movement radially of the gear adjacent the gear teeth, means mounting said devices in adjustable relation circumferentially about the gear, means common to the pair of devices for moving the same radially along the gear teeth to progressively heat and quench said teeth, and a guide member for each of said pair of devices slidable in the gear teeth.

2. In a .ilame hardening device for bevel gears and the like, the combination with means :for

supporting a bevel gear to be treated, of a series of pairs of combined flame and quenching devices, means mounting each of said pairs of devices for movement radially of the gear adjacent the teeth thereof, means for adjustably position` ing said mountings circumferentially about the gear, a plunger on 'each ofsaid mountings slidable radially with respect to the gear, a guide nger Vou. each plunger slidable in the gear teeth, means for moving said plungers'radially of the gear, and linkage connecting each plunger with its pair of.A combined name and quenching devices for moving the latter radially along the gear teeth.

3. Apparatus for ame hardening bevel gears and the like, including a support for mounting a gear to be treated, a trackway about the support, carriages movable on said trackway, each of said carriages. having a pair of combined llame and quenching devices mounted thereon for A linear movement radially with respect to the gear teeth, and means common to each pair of devices for moving the same radially'along the gear teeth to progressively heat and quench said teeth.

4. Apparatus for ame hardening bevel gears and the like, including a support for mounting a gear to be treated, -a trackway about the support, carriages movable on said trackway, each of said carriages having a pair of combined :llame and quenching devices mounted thereon for linear movement radially with respect to the gear teeth, a plunger slidablyfmounted on each carriage between the said devices thereon, a guide nger on each plunger slidable in the gear teeth, links pivotally connecting the pairs of devices with the plunger intermediate each pair, and means for moving said plungers radially with respect to the gear' teeth to progressively heat and quench said teeth by said devices.

5. Apparatus for :dame hardening bevel gears and the like, including a support for mountlnsa brackets I4, said manifolds having a1. plurality of 'spaced hose cocks 4I for connectionwith the torches I6 as by flexible conduits or hoses 42.'

The manifolds 39 and 40 as well as the -arcuat with a. uniform hardening treatment throughout.

My improved apparatus pro/vides a positive and simple control for carrying out the heating and 'quenching .operations in orderito maintain the desired uniformity of heat treatment.

V'Various changes andmodications 'are lconthe scope of the' following I claim: 1. Inaame hardening :device for bevel gears y and the like, a supportfor mounting a gear to be .75 on said trackway, each 0f Said carriages havinggear to be treated, indexing means removably engaging the gear`teeth fprhsecuring said gear against rotation on its support, a trackway about the support, carriages movable on said trackway, each of said carriages having a pair of combined llame and quenching devices mounted thereon for linear movement radially with respect to the gear teeth. ya plunger slidably mounted on each carriage between the said devices thereon, a guide finger on each plunger slidablein-the gear teeth, links-pivotall'y connecting the pairs ofdevices with the plunger intermediate each pair, and means 'for moving saidiplungers radially with respect to thegear teeth' to progressively heat 'and quench said' teeth by said devices.

bevel gear with the axis of rotation thereof vertical, means for securing said gear against rotation on its support, a trackway surrounding said, A

gear and support,'carriages individually movable -rods and plungers, and means for moving said plungers radially with respect to the gear teeth to progressively heat and quench said teeth by means of said combined torches and quenching 5 devices.

RICHARD J. WOLF.' 

